Energy-saving technologies: the basics of energy saving in an apartment

When it comes to energy-saving technologies, this most often applies to private homes. Typically, the use of such technologies is taken into account at the design stage of the home. You can increase energy efficiency in an already built house. In this case, the owner of a private house will require a minimum of various approvals and permits. In apartment buildings, the situation is much more complicated. But this does not mean that energy-saving technologies cannot be used in apartments. Just choosing options to reduce energy losses will be more modest than for private homes. In addition, energy saving in an apartment often implies an increase in the level of comfort in the room with utility bills remaining at the same level. How to achieve this?

Where is the energy lost in the apartment?

If we consider all the energy-saving technologies in the apartment, then they can be divided into two large groups:

1. These are rather not technologies, but tips. The energy-saving effect is achieved due to discipline, perhaps even some pedantry. Examples include truths known to everyone since childhood: do not leave the light when you leave the room; close the water tap carefully and so on.
2. The second group is characterized by some financial costs and changes in the life support system of the apartment in the direction of improving its energy-saving characteristics. The costs should subsequently be justified by a reduction in utility bills or an improvement in living conditions with an unchanged amount of payment for the apartment.

Energy-saving technologies are mainly applied in three directions. This is the improvement of apartment heating systems, electricity and water consumption. For any of these systems, you can find ways to save energy in both the first and second groups.

Warm apartment: how to save on heating?

Old Soviet-built apartment buildings in most cases have terrifying energy-saving indicators. Previously, the warm air from the apartments in huge quantities unhindered into the environment. In Soviet times, this was offset by extremely low heating costs. Nowadays, when utility prices are rising and approaching the global level, “heating the street” becomes extremely unprofitable. And apartment owners are beginning to look for ways to reduce heating costs.

The central heating technology used in most apartment buildings also raises many complaints:

• Heat does not always arrive in the apartment on time in the fall. The start of the heating season falls into news releases like news from the front.
• The heat generated by heating radiators is often not enough to maintain a comfortable temperature in extreme cold.
• Not always warm water is evenly distributed throughout the heating system; residents of apartments on the upper floors often suffer from this, where the coolant flows already cooled down.
• Accidents on heating mains and breakdowns in boiler rooms are also a frequent occurrence in conditions of very worn-out utility networks.

If it is impossible to refuse central heating in the apartment, the only way to ensure normal conditions in the home in the cold season is wall insulation.

How to make a warm apartment with a central heating system?

In any apartment, regardless of the heating system used, three types of heat loss can be distinguished:

• Drafts that quickly cool the room. Their effects are especially noticeable on windy days.
• Natural heat transfer between the apartment and the environment.
• Infrared radiation coming from warm surfaces. This type of heat loss is rarely remembered, but infrared radiation constantly contributes to the energy-saving characteristics of the room.

With central heating, the consumer cannot independently increase the temperature of the coolant in the system if it becomes cold in the apartment. But significantly reduce the heat loss is within the power of everyone. What should I look for?

• Window. Old wooden window frames provide the lion's share of heat loss. They should be replaced with modern designs with energy-efficient double-glazed windows. At the same time, it’s not enough just to choose a model that suits the climatic conditions and individual characteristics of your apartment. It is equally important that the plastic windows are installed correctlyotherwise, a significant part of the effect of their installation will be lost.

• Entrance Doors In Soviet times, the doors leading to the entrance were insulated with all available materials: they were used rubber seals, stuffed foam, sometimes a second door was inserted to minimize losses heat. Modern models of entrance doors combine excellent energy-saving properties with the functions of reliable protection against penetration.
• Ceiling. It must be insulated with the tenants of the apartments of the last floors. Indeed, most often behind a floor slab is a street or an unheated attic, access to which is limited. Warm ceiling can be done with mineral wool, foam, penofol, polystyrene or warm plaster. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, which must be assessed by choosing the option of warming your apartment.

• Floor. A warm floor will not be superfluous in any apartment, but this technology is especially relevant for apartments located on the ground floor. There are many ways of warming: from simple laying of linoleum with a lining to the device of the system "warm floor». It all depends on the energy-saving features of the premises and the financial capabilities of the residents. But everyone can heat the floors with affordable materials with their own hands.
• Walls. First of all, walls connecting with the street need insulation. Experts recommend the technology of insulation of the walls of the apartment from the outside. But this is not always possible - in most cases, this type of energy-saving measures is available only if the reconstruction of the entire house is carried out. And this happens quite rarely, for example, during major repairs. So you have to warm yourself with your own hands and from the inside. Many different heat-insulating materials and their applications will help to solve this problem.

When insulating work inside the apartment, it is recommended to use materials having a foil film. It will reflect infrared radiation, for example from heating radiators, and direct heat back to the apartment.

Fighting heat losses, do not turn the apartment into a semblance of a thermos: a complete cessation of air circulation between the apartment and the environment will not lead to anything good.

Energy-saving apartment with individual heating

Owners of individual heating boilers and geysers have many advantages. They may not wait for the start of the heating season and independently regulate the amount of heat entering the apartment. They can also seriously save on heating, observing a number of simple recommendations:

• Gas equipment for an apartment requires regular cleaning and timely replacement. Any device over time loses its effectiveness, in addition, new columns and boilers are much more economical than outdated models. The funds invested in their acquisition will pay off during operation.
• Circulation pumps for heating systems contribute to better heating of the entire apartment. The water in the batteries will not stagnate, which will give uniform heating to all rooms.
• Timely cleaning and radiator replacement heating to more advanced ones will seriously save heat.
• Thermostatic radiator valves the apartment will help to most effectively choose the thermal regime for each room, which will contribute to the overall energy-saving indicators of the apartment.

Often, energy-saving techniques are powerless against the peculiar habits developed over the years at low prices for utilities. A simple example: if the apartment is hot, then our inhabitants simply open the window. The European will reduce the supply of heat to the room. So in order to reduce heating costs, you will have to slightly change your mentality.

How to refuse central heating and install AGV?

Such an idea is often asked by apartment owners who are tired of the cold in winter, before and immediately after the end of the heating season. Is it possible to set yourself an individual boiler and not depend on the quirks of communal services?

It is possible, but every year to make it all the more difficult. The point here is not even financial costs. The technical side of the AGV installation (gas water heating apparatus) will also not cause any special difficulties. But you will have to collect a huge amount of certificates, permits and approvals. So if you are determined to do individual heating in the apartment, it is best to contact specialized firms. It will cost more, but you will not have to stand in countless queues and spend time and energy fighting a bureaucratic machine.

Is it possible to reduce energy costs?

Energy-saving technologies will significantly reduce utility costs. A few simple tips:

• Reduce the number of household appliances in the apartment in standby mode. This can be attributed to almost any modern household appliances, where there is, for example, a built-in clock. If you do not use this device frequently, it is best to unplug it from the outlet. Chargers for phones, tablets or laptops, not used, but connected to the network, also consume electricity. Let quite a bit, but in a year, taking into account their total number, a round sum can run up.
• Turn off unnecessary light. You can install lights with motion sensors or timers.
• Install a two-rate meter in the apartment. Then at night, when electricity is cheaper, energy-intensive household appliances, such as a bread machine, can be loaded with work.

• To purchase household appliances of the highest energy-saving class A +.
• The washing machine and dishwasher should be used only at full load - this will save not only on electricity, but also on water.
• Replace incandescent lamps in the apartment with energy-saving, and even better - with LED ones. With comparable characteristics of the emitted light, they consume many times less electricity.

But there are several unpleasant moments regarding the last point:

• Energy-saving and LED lamps are an order of magnitude higher than ordinary ones. So the re-equipment of the entire apartment will cost a significant amount.
• Not everyone is satisfied with the quality of the light produced by energy-saving lamps. As a rule, this problem is solved by a more careful selection of lighting devices for the apartment.
• The problem with the disposal of energy-saving lamps has not been resolved. They simply cannot be thrown away, but it is very difficult to find collection points for used lamps.

Reduce water costs

The competent use of water in the apartment can also save a lot:

• Regularly inspect plumbing - the sooner a leak is detected and eliminated, the less money “leaks into the pipe”.
• Replace your bathtub with a regular shower. From a hygienic point of view, there is not much difference, but the amount of water consumed will be significantly reduced.
• Using a dishwasher in the kitchen is preferable to washing the dishes under running water.

• Lever taps are more economical than taps with valves for hot and cold water. They allow you to quickly get water of the required temperature.

Thus, energy-saving technologies, even in an ordinary apartment, can significantly save on utilities.